May 25, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Yale Bulldogs rush the field after a victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the semifinals of the men's NCAA lacrosse national championship at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Ivy League will not hold a conference spring season because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, keeping its teams on the sidelines the entire 2020-21 academic year.
The Ivy League Council of Presidents announced the decision on Thursday, but left the door open — by a small crack — for some athletes to take part in their sports on a limited basis.
“While we would like nothing better than to deliver a complete season of competition, these are the necessary decisions for the Ivy League in the face of the health concerns posed by the ongoing and dangerous pandemic,” the leaders of the eight schools said in a joint statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation as we move forward so that our universities can determine whether Ivy League principles and evolving health conditions might allow for limited, local competition later this spring.”
The Ivy League was the first to cancel its conference basketball tournaments last March as COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. It also was the first to announce it wouldn’t play fall or winter seasons.
Student-athletes who currently are enrolled are permitted to train and practice, as long as they follow the school’s state procedures and state and local regulations.
–Field Level Media